New York deputy finds a hawk in the roadway, covers its head, and drives it to safety

A sheriff's deputy in upstate New York ended up rescuing an injured hawk after getting a report that the bird was sitting in the roadway.

The bird's calm ride to safety — in the back of a patrol car — has since provided a bright spot for animal lovers in New York's Hudson Valley.

What happened?

In Greene County, Deputy Barry Hill of the Greene County Sheriff's Office answered a report about a hawk in the road, according to Hudson Valley Country.

In a Facebook post, the sheriff's office said Hill "was able to retrieve the bird and place it in his patrol car." The department added: "He then covered the bird's head to induce calmness during transport. The hawk was quickly turned over to ENCON officers for further evaluation."

A later Facebook update from Catskill Mountain Wildlife Rehabilitation identified the bird as a juvenile male red-tailed hawk. During intake, the organization said, it determined the hawk was "likely hit by a car and was stunned."

Catskill Mountain Wildlife Rehabilitation also said it reached out to Xen, an "expert raptor Rehabber" from Whispering Willow Wild Care, before the bird was taken to Friends of the Feathered and Furry Wildlife Center "for further evaluation and a little TLC."

Why does it matter?

Hawks play an important role in local ecosystems by helping control rodent and small-animal populations. Wildlife and vehicles also frequently intersect, so having trained experts ready to help animals in these situations is increasingly important. 

Hudson Valley Country noted that two other bird rescues — both involving owls — took place in the Hudson Valley in recent weeks, including one in Dutchess County in early July and another in Orange County in June.

What's being done?

In this case, multiple groups moved quickly to help. Law enforcement, environmental conservation officers, wildlife rehabilitators, and a specialty raptor expert each played a role in getting the hawk from a dangerous roadway into professional care.

A deputy secured the bird, wildlife officials handled the transfer, and rehabilitation groups assessed its injuries and moved the hawk to a center equipped to monitor its condition.

As Catskill Mountain Wildlife Rehabilitation put it: "This was a seamless collaboration among many agencies."

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